One FB feature I want to encourage you to start using (or start using even more) is Stories. Have you been posting there? Using its more interactive visual effects? Reaching your audience more effectively? You should be.

Learn more about the How To’s of Stories on Facebook in the brief video below. Please share any comments or questions after viewing. And if you’re already dialed into using Stories on Facebook, I’d love to hear how that’s been working for you as well. Bonus points – link to your page so I can ‘Like’ you! Enjoy!

Tell me if I’m wrong, but I have a feeling you’ve been wondering lately if Facebook is still relevant to retailers.

Well, I have news (which could either be good or bad depending on you)! Facebook is not dead. It’s still a strong marketing tool for retailers when used correctly.

This is good news if you like Facebook and have utilized it to gain successful marketing results. This is bad news if you hate Facebook and would rather focus your time on other things like Instagram (or- gasp!- not doing social at all).

In this quick video, I share with you why Facebook is still an incredibly powerful marketing tool. Click below to watch now.

And a quick reminder! On May 7th, I’m doing a special live training webinar for my Insiders on can’t-miss email marketing advice and tips. Email remains one of the best tools you can use to drive traffic and sales so I’d love for you to join me to capture some important take-aways.

Become an Insider here and mark your calendar for May 7th at 9 a.m. PST for the live training event (brought to you online, like a webinar). If you can’t make the live event, no worries! As an Insider, you’ll get the replay, plus lots of other exclusive tools, training, and support.

We love sharing case studies and hope this one inspires you to take action with Facebook ads. We’ve said it a million times, if you’re posting on Facebook you need to be running ads and following best practices to optimize your budget.

Watch the full episode:

Exciting news! If you’re ready to take your Facebook and Instagram Ads to the next level or get started with your first ad we’re hosting a live (online) Facebook and Instagram Ads Masterclass starting on October 16th. You can learn more about this two 90-minute session masterclass, here.

You can catch new episodes of The Modern Marketing Show every Monday at 10 a.m PST on our Facebook Page. Replays will be available on the blog each week.

With all the changes Facebook has been making since their big announcement in January to dealing with the backlash from the Cambridge Analytica scandal many retailers (and marketers) are wondering…Is it time to quit Facebook? Many people feel like Facebook isn’t as relevant as it used to be and aren’t sure if it’s worth spending the time to show up there.

Watch the full episode:

We’re big believers in the power of Facebook. Below we’ll explain the main reasons why we believe you shouldn’t jump the Facebook ship just yet.

Reason #1: Facebook isn’t dead.

Retailers we work with are driving traffic into their stores and selling out of products directly correlated to Facebook. You have to adapt to the changes as they happen, use the right tools available to you (live streaming, groups, event pages, etc), and focus on developing a killer ads strategy.

Reason #2: Work the algorithm to your advantage.

It’s no surprise that each platform has its own algorithm. Understanding how algorithms work is important because they determine who sees what when. They are often changed or updated which means what might have worked in the past isn’t necessarily going to work today. That’s why it’s important to keep up with these changes in order to work the algorithm to your advantage so you’re showing up where your customer’s attention is.

Reason #3: Be where your customers are.

Do your research, and communicate with your customers to find out what social platforms they’re spending their time on. Then, once you’ve figured out where you need to be, utilize all the tools available to you to help get yourself noticed. Facebook has an array of awesome features already built in (think live streaming, video, slideshows, stories, ads, messenger bots). The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating content that connects with your audience. You may also find you’ve been wasting time on platforms you don’t need to be on. Image what you can do with all that extra time!

Facebook is the largest social network in the world, and it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. It’s important to understand that social media is ever-changing, so you need to be able to adapt and keep an open mind when something does change.

You can catch new episodes of The Modern Marketing Show every Monday at 10 a.m PST on our Facebook Page. Replays will be available on the blog each week.

Here at Social Edge, we strive to help independent retailers see success through social media by implementing tried and true strategies. In this case study and success story sent in from a Social Edge Insider, Heather Waits, Owner of Bloomtastic Florist in Columbus, OH, you’ll learn how she used a Facebook Ad to reach one of her S.M.A.R.T business goals.

Watch the full episode:

Her Problem

Heather had a few dates available on the calendar for weddings her business needed to fill for the Fall wedding season.

Her Solution

Run a Post Engagement Ad on a $ 50-lifetime budget to a targeted audience of brides who got engaged in the past 12 months and located within 20 miles of her store. See the ad image and copy used below:

Her Results

The ad had been running for less than a week and had garnered 69 post engagements and Bloomtastic Florist received 5 leads in a single day (avg=1 lead a day). Her average cost for a wedding is $2,000, so with one wedding booked from a $50 ad, that’s a profit of $1,500 (and she booked 2 of those 5 brides!). See results below:

Running the right Facebook Ads can have a significant impact on your overall business. This is a great example of how targeting the right audience can get you in front of the right people which can lead to increased profit and help you meet your business goals, which ultimately helps keep your business operating at it’s highest potential.

The key takeaway is to make sure you’re setting S.M.A.R.T goals in order to reverse engineer your strategy to come up with the ideal plan to reach those goals.

You can catch new episodes of The Modern Marketing Show every Monday at 10 a.m PST on our Facebook Page. Replays will be available on the blog each week.